A new advanced cellular model of functional cholinergic-like neurons developed by reprogramming the human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell line

Modeling human neuronal properties in physiological and pathological conditions is essential to identify novel potential drugs and to explore pathological mechanisms of neurological diseases. For this purpose, we generated a three-dimensional (3D) neuronal culture, by employing the readily available human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line, and a new differentiation protocol. The entire differentiation process occurred in a matrix and lasted 47 days, with 7 days of pre-differentiation phase and 40 days of differentiation, and allowed the development of a 3D culture in conditions consistent with the physiological environment. Neurons in the culture were electrically active, were able to establish functional networks, and showed features of cholinergic neurons. Hence here we provide an easily accessible, reproducible, and suitable culture method that might empower studies on synaptic function, vesicle trafficking, and metabolism, which sustain neuronal activity and cerebral circuits. Moreover, this novel differentiation protocol could represent a promising cellular tool to study physiological cellular processes, such as migration, differentiation, maturation, and to develop novel therapeutic approaches.

An Optimized Workflow for the Analysis of Metabolic Fluxes in Cancer Spheroids Using Seahorse Technology

Three-dimensional cancer models, such as spheroids, are increasingly being used to study cancer metabolism because they can better recapitulate the molecular and physiological aspects of the tumor architecture than conventional monolayer cultures. Although Agilent Seahorse XFe96 (Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA, United States) is a valuable technology for studying metabolic alterations occurring in cancer cells, its application to three-dimensional cultures is still poorly optimized. We present a reliable and reproducible workflow for the Seahorse metabolic analysis of three-dimensional cultures. An optimized protocol enables the formation of spheroids highly regular in shape and homogenous in size, reducing variability in metabolic parameters among the experimental replicates, both under basal and drug treatment conditions. High-resolution imaging allows the calculation of the number of viable cells in each spheroid, the normalization of metabolic parameters on a per-cell basis, and grouping of the spheroids as a function of their size. Multivariate statistical tests on metabolic parameters determined by the Mito Stress test on two breast cancer cell lines show that metabolic differences among the studied spheroids are mostly related to the cell line rather than to the size of the spheroid. The optimized workflow allows high-resolution metabolic characterization of three-dimensional cultures, their comparison with monolayer cultures, and may aid in the design and interpretation of (multi)drug protocols.

MULTIPHYSICS MODELISATION OF AN UNPROTECTED LOSS OF FLOW TRANSIENT IN A SODIUM COOLED FAST REACTORS USING A NEUTRONIC-THERMAL-HYDRAULIC COUPLING SCHEME

Sodium cooled fast neutron reactors (SFR) are one of the selected reactor concepts in the framework of the Generation IV International Forum. In this concept, unprotected loss of cooling flow transients (ULOF), for which the non-triggering of backup systems is postulated, are regarded as potential initiators of core melting accidents. During an ULOF transient, spatial distributions of fuel, structure and sodium temperatures are affected by the core cooling flow decrease, which will modify the spatial and energy distribution of neutron in the core due to the spatial competition of neutron feedback effects. As no backup systems are triggered, sodium may reach its boiling temperature at some point, leading to local sodium density variations and making the transient fluctuate in a two-phase flow physics where thermal-hydraulics and neutronics may interact with each other. The transient phenomenology involves several physic disciplines at different time and spatial scales, such as core neutronics, coolant thermal-hydraulics and fuel thermo-mechanics. This paper presents the results of thermal-hydraulic/neutronic coupled simulations of an ULOF transient on the SFR project ASTRID. These coupled calculations are based on the supervisor platform SALOME to link the neutron code APOLLO3® to the system thermal-hydraulic code CATHARE3. The physical approach used by the coupling to describe the neutron kinetic is a quasi-static adiabatic one, updating the normalized spatial power distribution periodically by performing static neutron calculations, while a point kinetic model associated to a neutron feedback model calculates the power amplitude variations.

Profiling and Targeting of Energy and Redox Metabolism in Grade 2 Bladder Cancer Cells with Different Invasiveness Properties

Bladder cancer is one of the most prevalent deadly diseases worldwide. Grade 2 tumors represent a good window of therapeutic intervention, whose optimization requires high resolution biomarker identification. Here we characterize energy metabolism and cellular properties associated with spreading and tumor progression of RT112 and 5637, two Grade 2 cancer cell lines derived from human bladder, representative of luminal-like and basal-like tumors, respectively. The two cell lines have similar proliferation rates, but only 5637 cells show efficient lateral migration. In contrast, RT112 cells are more prone to form spheroids. RT112 cells produce more ATP by glycolysis and OXPHOS, present overall higher metabolic plasticity and are less sensitive than 5637 to nutritional perturbation of cell proliferation and migration induced by treatment with 2-deoxyglucose and metformin. On the contrary, spheroid formation is less sensitive to metabolic perturbations in 5637 than RT112 cells. The ability of metformin to reduce, although with different efficiency, cell proliferation, sphere formation and migration in both cell lines, suggests that OXPHOS targeting could be an effective strategy to reduce the invasiveness of Grade 2 bladder cancer cells.

[Art therapy for hospitalised congenital heart disease patients: a method of psychological intervention at the IRCCS Policlinico San Donato Milanese Hospital]

The current work is the presentation of a new project at the IRCSS San Donato Milanese University hospital, in the sphere of Psychocardiology. Hospitalised children and adolescents often face psychosocial difficulties and the psychological condition of their parents frequently has an impact on their wellbeing. A strong need to take care, beyond the mere cure, is necessary in the hospital settings - that is a need to pay attention also to psychological aspects apart from the medical ones. Art therapy could be an answer for this need: the literature has outlined its efficacy in hospital, also due to the higher inclination of children and adolescents toward creativity. By providing and analysing the drawings of 10 young patients with congenital heart disease (CHD), this study outlines how the art therapy program gives these patients the opportunity to freely and directly express fears and anxieties about medical procedures and their disease. Moreover, through the creation of a tangible product, psychologists can better evaluate the psychological troubles of young patients and provide them and their parents with more focused and personalized support. This study also focuses on the perception of the utility that parents have of this new therapeutic intervention, offered at the Department of Paediatric Cardiac Surgery, confirming that art therapy is perceived as being effective and is definitely a good instrument in helping to "take care" of children and adolescents suffering from CHD.